Administrator of daniel j



J. H. JOHNSUN au D. J. MGKBITHEN.

N. A. MGKEITHEN, Administrator of D. J. MGKEITHEN, Deceased.

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Smarts artnr JOIIN Il. JOHNSON, OE RALEIGH, AND NEILL A. MCKEITHEN,OFABERDEEN, NORTH CAROLINA, ADMINISTRATOR OF DANIEL J. MOKEITHEN, DE-

OEASED.

AUTOMATIC PNEUMATIC RAILRADS\N|TCi-I.V

'SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,153, dated.September 14, 1897. Application filed June 18, 1897. Serial No. 641,383.KNO model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. JOHNSON, residing at Raleigh, in thecountyof Wake, North Carolina, did invent, jointly with DANIEL J.

MCKEITHEN, deceased, (NEILL A. lvicimrn`A EN, of Aberdeen, in the countyof Moore and State of North Carolina, administrator of the said DANIELJ. MCKEITHEN, deceased,) certain new and useful Improvements in Auto- Iomatic Pneumatic RailwaySwitches, of which the following is aspeciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to apparatus for operating a railway-switch bypneumatic pressure; and its object is to provide simple but efficientmechanism for the purpose. p

The characteristic features of the invention will be fully disclosedhereinafter, and defined in the appended claims.

2o VIn the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevationof mechanism embodying the improvements, and Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same with the top of the housing or casing removed.

2 5 The reference-numeral 1 indicates a` base upon which the casing 2and its contained mechanism are supported. At one end of the base islocated an air-cylinder 3, having a piston 4 and piston-rod 5. The outerhead 3o 6 of the cylinder 3 communicates, by means of a pipe 7, with asecond cylinder 8, a valve 9 being arranged in the pipe near thecylinder 8. The piston 4C is provided with two guiderods 10 and 11,arranged parallel to the piston-rod 5 and extending through the innerhead 12 of the cylinder. The projecting ends of the rods arescrew-threaded to receive nuts 13, and between these nuts and the headl2 coil-springs let are arranged for the purpose 4o of retracting thepiston, as will be further explained hereinafter.

The pistonrod 5 is connected to a crosshead 15, which is formed with anopening-to receive a guide-rod 16, projecting from the cylinder.

The cross-head is connected by a connecting-rod 17 with a cranlearm 1S,secured to the switch-staff 19, which Ahas bearing in the base 1. Belowthe crank-arm 18, upon the 5o staff 19, is rigidly secured an eccentric20, having a sectional strap 21, connected to one `end of a rod 22, theopposite end of which is connected to the switch-point.

The cylinder 8, which may be termed the "receiving-cylinder, since. itreceives compressed air from the cylinder 3, contains a` piston 28,having a rod 24E, extending through the upper head of the cylinder andpassing through a yoke 25, which is slotted to i'orm a seat 26 for acatch 27, having a lateral pro- 6o jecting pin 28 and supported upon aspring 29. The upper portion of the piston-rod 24 is longitudinallyslotted, as at 30, to receive the pin 2S, which is adapted to contactwith the upper end wall of the slot 30 in the rod 65 24. Thespring-catch 27 is arranged to engage an arm 31, fixed upon theswitch-statt' and having at its outer end a slot 32, into which thecatch 27 is forced by its spring 29.

The switch-statt extends through the top 7o of the casing 2 and issupported by a yokestandard 33, secured to the top of the housing 2. "Acollar 34 surrounds the switch stait above the standard 33, and a lever35 is fulcrumed in a bearing in said ring, said lever constituting theswitch-throwing lever and adapted, asillustrated in Fig. 1, to normallydepend from the ring, so that it may be locked to a trackat 3G on thestandard 33. The cylinder 8 is provided with a relief- 8o valve 37 topermit of the escape of air from the cylinder. `The size of theescape-opening in the valve 37 determines the-length of time the switchremains inA the position to which it is thrown by the switch-lever,andthe size of the valve-opening may of course be varied, so that theswitch may remain open a predetermined length of time and thenauto1natically closed, or the valve 37. may be operated so as toimmediately close the switch. 9o p The operation of the mechanism abovedescribed is as follows: To throw the switch, the lever 35 is vraised toa horizontal position and then turned through an angle of ninety degreesto revolve the switchstaff. This movement of the staff 19 forces thepiston 4 forward against the tension of the springs-14 and compressesthe air in the cylinder 3, the compressed air passing through the pipe 7into the cylinder 8. The movement of the Ioo staff 19 brings the arm 31into position above the catch 27, so that the latter enters the slot insaid arm and locks the switch-staff. The switch :is turned through themedium of the rod and eccentric 20. As the compressed air enters thecylinder 8 below the piston 23 the latter rises. The lever 35 may thenbe returned to its normal position and locked by any suitable lockingmeans. As the compressed air escapes 4from the cylinder S through thevalve 37 the piston 23 gradually lowers until the upper end wall of theslot 30 .in the piston-rod 24 contacts with the pin 28,

thus depressing the catch 27 out of engagement with the arm 3l andreleasing the staff 19. rlhe spring 14 will then retract the piston andthrough the medium of the rods 17 and 7 return the switch-point to itsfirst position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

l. In pneumatic switch-operating apparatus, the combination with aswitch-statt and connections between the staff and switchpoint of anair-compressing cylinder and piston, an air-receivin gcylindercommunicating by a suitable pipe with the compressing-cylinder,a piston within said receiving-cylinder having a piston-rod, a lockingdevice for said switch-staff, and means for unlocking the switch-staffwhen the air in the receivingcylinder escapes.

2. In pneumatic switch-operating apparatus, the combination with aswitch-staff of an air-compressing cylinder, a piston within saidcylinder provided with sprin g-retractin g rods, a rod a connectionbetween the piston and switch-staff, a rod for connecting theswitch-staff and switch-point, a receivingcylinder having a pipeconnection with the air-compressing cylinder, and a locking deviceadapted to be released by the piston-rod of the receiving-cylinder.

3. In pneumatic switch-operating apparatus, the combination with theair-compressin g cylinder and piston, the latter operated by the turningof the switch-stall?, of a connection from the switch-stand for throwingthe switch-point, an air-receiving cylinder having a pipe connectionwith the air-compressing cylinder, an escape-valve for thereceiving-cylinder, a piston in said receiving-cylinder having a slottedpiston-rod adapted to release a locking device to permit the switchstaiito return to its normal position.

4. In pneumatic switch-operating apparatus, the combination with the aircompressing and receiving cylinders connected by an air-pipe, of apiston within the compressingcylinder provided with parallel rodsextending beyond the cylinder and provided with coil-springs,connections for operating said piston and throwing the switch-point fromthe switch-staii', and releasing mechanism whereby the springs arepermitted to retract said piston.

5. The combination with the compressingcylinder and its piston,piston-rod and sprin operated rods, of the switch-staff connected by across-head and connecting-rod with said piston-rod, a connection forthrowing the switch-point, and an air-receiving cylinder communicatingwith the compressing-cylinder by a valved connection and having anescape-valve, a device for locking the switchstafi' after the switch isthrown, and a catch adapted io be depressed by the downward movement ofthe piston of the air-receiving cylinder.

In testimony whereof We afx our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

II. A. PAG-n, D. A. McLAUcHLIN.

